Be forewarned: The writer of this blog is an extremely cynical, snarky, pro-US, secular, libertarian, disgruntled sandmonkey. If this is your cup of tea, please enjoy your stay here. If not, please sod off

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Feel the love

I don't know if you have heard about the "Love in Action" camps before, god knows i didn't until today. Those camps are designed as a "refuge" for curing kids ages 13-18 from destructive behaviour such as Sexual Promescuity and Homosexuality. Oh yeah, it's an Ex-Gay camp, where you go there gay and you leave straight, well, kind of.
The rules of that place, where concerned parents send their kids to be cured, was posted by an ex-patient who was forced to attend on his blog and include the following:
1- Kids in the program are not allowed to speak to anyone, not even their parents, for at least the first two days.
2- Kids are not allowed to go anywhere unless they are accompanied by at least two other participants, one of which has to have at least 8 weeks of prior indoctrination.
3- Kids are not allowed to keep a journal or a diary
4- Kids are not allowed to discuss what goes on in the program with anyone, not even their parents
5-Kids are not allowed to have contact with any family members other than parents, who also go through the program
6-Kids are not allowed to have any physical contact with any human being other than a hand shake or a pat on the shoulder, and only when authorized.
7-Kids are not allowed to listen to any music that is not explicitly Christian (Bach and Beethoven are specifically forbidden as being non-Christian)
8-Kids are not allowed to speak after 9:00 p.m. under any circumstance
9- Kids may be placed in a state of isolation where they are not allowed to communicate with one another
In that camp they also have shaming sessions, where the clients-kids in the progarm ages 13 to 18 mind you- have to, once a day, describe in emotional detail "sinful activities" they'd partaken in...these sessions were then extended to having to describe these things in front of 50 or 60 people on "friends and family" nights, where the family was encouraged to shame them.
That's what i call Love in action!
You know, i am not gay, nor am i the biggest advocate of gay rights, but..but this is messed up!
I guess that settles that issue Hellme, Humanity is definitely not moving forwards!